Sunshine, sunburn and sunstroke

By Baldmichael Theresoluteprotector’sson

This is a post on my WordPress site and I thought I would transfer a copy across to make it easier for those who are on substack. As the daylight is now increasing significantly and the benefits of the sun in our latitude are increasingly felt, I felt it would be a useful reminder of the various aspects of which to be aware.

I was intending to do this in any event, but I saw a post by Kyle Young on his substack ‘The Secular Heretic’ regarding commercial airlines in the USA and their impact on the skies.

it's time to talk about flying on commercial airlines

Here is mine.

Sunshine, sunburn and sunstroke

22nd July 2021

The sun is shining in the south of England; the midsummer solstice has been. The nights are drawing in again. And so round again we go in the circle of the year.

But in the meantime we have the sun to enjoy. Most of us love the sun, although there are those that struggle or even hate it. Why is that?

This link shares some thoughts.

https://www.quora.com/Why-do-some-people-hate-the-sun-and-love-rainy-and-dark-weather?share=1

Well, as for me, I have had some mixed views. I love the warmth of the sun, although you can get a warm breeze without it being too bright. In the UK we are blessed with a variable climate. This varies depending on which bit of the UK you are in.

However, I don’t really want to go into the vagaries of the weather. Only, I would say that in past years come April I would start to burn in full sunlight. Midday was obviously worse and this became more intense as the sun rose higher as we neared the solstice.

So much so that after about 10am and until 4pm I would need to cover up, wear a hat, put on sun cream. My wife got into an Aloe Vera product which I found much better; cools and protects as well as heals.

But that all changed last year as we went into lockdowns. Now, lockdowns are stupid for various reasons, but good has come of them too. Bizarre but true.

You see, I found that I was no longer burning in the full clear skies. I spent 2 whole hours in mid-june 2020, 11am to 1pm approximately. No hat, no lotion, not even aloe vera. I got slightly burnt. I applied some aloe vera gel. I was fine.

The same is happening this year it seems, although the weather has been very mixed, perhaps more like the usual variations we can expect in the south of England.

Two days ago I went out cycling from around mid-day until around 5.30pm. Shorts and T shirt. Hat for the top of my head. I applied no sun cream etc.

Again I would have burnt 2 years ago. I was fine on the day, no effects whatsoever. Yesterday and today I saw/see a slight redness, that is all.

So why is it I am no longer suffering sunburn as I used to? I have worked it out so I will tell you what I have found.

Sunshine – Ultraviolet (UV)

The sun gives off UVA, UVB, and UVC each with a different wavelength. UVC is apparently reflected by the earth’s ozone layer and atmosphere. Just as well, as it is highly damaging to life forms, including our bodies. See link below

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultraviolet

The band widths are as follows:

A – 85nm

B – 35nm

C – 180nm

Note that UVB is under half the band width of UVA and understood to be the wavelength responsible for the production of vitamin D.

It seems UVB is reflected back to space by clouds, smog and similar. This leaves the UVA to continue to the ground.

And please note the following.

A/B = 2.42857

B/A = 0.41176

Add 2 answers = 2.84033 then divide answer by 2 = 2.42 to 2 decimal places so 42 again. The ultimate answer to possibly everything it seems. See my link if you wish. 42 – The Ultimate Answer to Life, The Universe and Everything

Note Soft A, intermediate B and hard C on the table in Wikipedia. This reminds me of the beds of the 3 bears of the story with Goldilocks, too hard, too soft and just right!

And it is UVB that is just right for vitamin D production!

Clear skies/cloudy skies

In clear skies with no chemical or other trails to block UVB the two, UVA and UVB come together flattening each other out sufficiently to minimise the burning.

In cloudy skies with alternating cloud and clear skies some UVB is reflected increasing the power of the UVA and increasing the burning effect.

In overcast skies no or very limited UVB will get through and UVA will be much more powerful and you can burn very easily.

Protecting/ shading your self against the intense light of the middle of the day depending on your latitude makes sense. It appears that being nearer the equator will increase the power of the UV light and this makes good sense as the distance through the atmosphere is shorter.

One should not forget that reflected light has an impact. So being by the sea, for example, or an inland lake increase UV light issues, whilst pure snow and altitude have a significant bearing on the UV you can receive.

The W.H.O. website link below is useful but incorrect about UV exposure as my experience shows. Being in the sun a long time is not the issue, there are other factors at play.

https://www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/radiation-ultraviolet-(uv)

This is interesting regarding the Japanese approach to sunshine.

https://www.straightdope.com/21343847/are-uv-rays-really-more-powerful-on-cloudy-days

It has been long discussed what form does light take, pulse or waves? Well, why not both? Quantum mechanics seems to indicate this. But then, why not spiral or helical like DNA?

And what was happening with me. Seems straightforward to me.

You see, sound waves are flattened or enhanced by how they are synchronised. They can be enhanced or reduced.

The same applies to UV light. The A & B coming together flatten each other, reduce the power effect; we can therefore take more of it for longer in clear skies than we can in cloudy skies.

With the absence of most air traffic in lockdowns, the skies are much freer of pollution and the scattering effect of vapour trails etc. So again lockdowns have benefits as well as downsides.

But what about protection?

Sunblocks/screens

Sunblocks and screens might be fine for reducing UV light from damaging your skin but they also limit or prevent you from gaining the suns energy which helps eventually to build up vitamin D in your body (subject to other factors within your body such as suitable body oils).

I have found in the past that a clear pure aloe vera product has helped enormously and I have not needed the more advertised commercial products/creams.

I once had a secretary who said her sister used olive oil on her skin to help protect her. I am now sure that that is a good alternative to moisturise and protect the skin, without stopping the benefits of sunshine in eventually producing vitamin D in your body. Note this link

https://www.amazingoliveoil.com/olive-oil-sun-protection.html

As regards sunblocks and suncreams toxicity the following links should be examined.

https://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/news/20200121/fda-skin-absorbs-dangerous-sunscreen-chemicals

https://www.ewg.org/sunscreen/report/the-trouble-with-sunscreen-chemicals/

You should be seriously concerned if you use commercial products containing these ingredients. In any event you should not need them at all if you are sensible and use natural plant products.

And don’t forget that these creams and sunblocks come in plastic containers which then have to be disposed of. Frequently things get dumped. We pay the price in a polluted harmful environment.

After all in somebody wants to sell you something they will tell you how good it is, even if it may be harmful. They may even use fear to prompt you to buy their product. Some people just love money.

They also will go out of their way to try and persuade you that vitamin D is not that important.

Vitamin D

You can find other information on vitamin D on my pages on this. Whilst there is a lot of information on the internet, again there are those who wish this information suppressed so they can sell poisonous drugs and make large amounts of money off the suffering of the human race.

Even many doctors have succumbed to this and have become ignorant of vitamin D’s benefits and have ignored the side effects and ultimate uselessness of most drugs for which there are, and always have been, beneficial and harmless alternatives.

Anyway, this link below is useful regarding how sunshine enables us to eventually get vitamin D but is incorrect or at least misleading about how much sunshine can be damaging. If your vitamin D levels are good your protection and healing is also boosted.

And please note my earlier comments regarding sun blocks and creams; the advice in the link to use such things is just wrong if this then blocks your pores on your skin together with the attendant issues with chemicals etc.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/medical/how-much-sun-do-you-need-for-vitamin-d/ar-BB1fzV2h

The articles say

The American Cancer Society does not support sun exposure for increasing vitamin D

I checked with the website of this society.

https://www.cancer.org/latest-news/how-to-have-a-happy-healthy-summer.html

Extract from above.

Stay safe in the sun

Most skin cancers are caused by too much exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun and manmade sources like tanning booths. Protect your skin from the sun when you go outside, especially during the long, warm summer days.

Cover up: When you are out in the sun, wear clothing and a wide-brimmed hat to protect as much skin as possible. Protect your eyes with sunglasses that block at least 99% of UV light.

Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 30. Put more on at least every 2 hours, and after swimming or sweating.

Seek shade: Limit your direct exposure to the sun, especially between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., when UV rays are strongest.

Avoid tanning beds and sunlamps: Both can cause serious long-term skin damage and contribute to skin cancer.

Now whilst you need to be sensible about sun exposure, the issues have to do with your vitamin D levels in the first place. If they are poor you will burn badly and will not heal well or quickly.

I suspect the American Cancer Society has a vested interest in telling you what they say. Sunshine is free, cancer treatments are very expensive and a major problem in themselves which I will write about in due course.

However, for now this link below may suffice to give you pause for thought. Some people just love money which is the root of all kinds of evil.

https://naturalsociety.com/cancer-drugs-cost-american-cancer-society-exposed-67380/

Being in the sun all day is not a problem if you are sensible and protect yourself in the midday as necessary and use a natural plant product as required.

Again please note I have boosted my own vitamin D levels considerably by supplementation by way or experiment. I have explained elsewhere, see links.

D is for…..D. Vitamin D

More Vitamin D

In essence, you need to consider your own vitamin D levels and get them tested to be sure. Please note that a normal level will be average for a population group and by no means optimal. The actual level you can have can be much higher as I believe I have proved.

But if you start from a low base you need to build up before you can tolerate large amounts of sun.

Please note I am fair skinned so I would normally be especially vulnerable. Now I am not if I am sensible and have regard to the sunshine conditions etc.

The following is very good but quite long. From June 2015.

https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/4536937

The following is extracted from above for ease of reference. I have put in extra paragraph spaces for ease of reading the main points.

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

The full solar spectrum is essential to optimal health and well-being. Humans are physiologically adapted to produce vitamin D in response to sun exposure, specifically UVB radiation; other regions of the spectrum seem to confer benefit as well.

Though some vitamin D comes from our diet (and more recently from supplements), we should not ignore the natural capacity that we possess to produce our own.

We are of the opinion that moderate sun exposure (less than the time required to burn) to the arms, shoulders, trunk, and legs should be sought rather than avoided. Once that limited time has been achieved, we agree that covering the skin or seeking shade may be appropriate.

The benefits of such exposure go beyond production of vitamin D and include other physiological responses to sunlight, still inadequately explored, including release of nitric oxide, production of beta-endorphin, and regulation of circadian rhythms—all important components of lifelong health and well-being.

The current policy of sun avoidance is creating probable harm for the general population. Ignorance of the effects of portions of the solar spectrum at wavelengths longer than the ultraviolet is due mainly to lack of suitable measurement tools for cutaneous and systemic responses to those regions.

We propose therefore that the U.S. Surgeon General’s office, the World Health Organization, the Institute of Medicine, and other health entities, together or separately, engage in an immediate effort both to define and quantify comprehensively the benefits and harms of sun exposure and to develop the measurement methods needed for their detection and quantification.

Following this effort, concrete recommendations for exposure at an individual level that are both safe and beneficial should be created.

We also recommend, as an interim strategy, that both sun exposure and vitamin D supplementation be concomitants of drug therapy for tuberculosis so as to garner both whatever benefits may be due to vitamin D and those of heliotherapy that extend beyond its effect on vitamin D status.

NB If you are in the USA and you are told to stay indoors because of Covid 19, this is a lie. Be sensible, but make the most of the sunshine.

Sunstroke

Well, there is not much I need say about this except to repeat that one must be sensible. It is all very well for ‘Mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the mid-day sun’ as Noel Coward sang, but not very wise in general as it is much more pleasant to sit in the shade with a cooling drink.

But it is worth noting that a cold drink takes time to warm up in your stomach before it can be absorbed; if it didn’t the shock of the cold might kill you. And in the long run you benefit more by rehydration and evaporation which will cool you more effectively.

I once was helping in a holiday camp bar in Bracklesham Bay to earn some money during the holidays whilst at university. There was a retired man who had been in Hong Kong and he said that tea was more refreshing than water.

It was something I had not considered but I took this on board.

Note the following link.

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health-and-fitness/fitness/a-hot-drink-cools-you-faster-than-a-cold-one-myth-or-reality/article4474567/

Mind you, as a keen cyclist there is nothing I find better than a pint of ginger beer shandy, half beer/ale and half ginger beer when I stop for lunch on a hot day.

Should you or someone else get sunstroke then I have noted the following link.

https://meridian.allenpress.com/jat/article/45/5/439/111116/Cold-Water-Immersion-and-the-Treatment-of

I daresay if someone’s heart is weak that too much cold can shock the body and stop the heart, so this must always be considered.

Finally

So there you are, three S’s. Which could be ‘SSS’. These may remind you of the SS of Nazi infamy. Or perhaps the snake or serpent which goes ‘hisss’.

The snake or serpent, like the one in the Garden of Eden. I found this link on line to some unusual lyrics.

https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/lemondemon/dontbelikethesun.html

“Don’t Be Like The Sun”, the song, talks about ‘king of Mars’ and ‘a gold plated man monkey full of dollar bills’. The question is who is the king of Mars? Well, I associate him ultimately with the Devil who wages war against the children of God.

And the devil mars or spoils everything, a spoil sport.

Who is ‘The Sun’? Well, it might refer to Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who I associate with the sun of righteousness

Malachi 4v1-3

The Great Day of the LORD

1“For behold, the day is coming, burning like a furnace, when all the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble; the day is coming when I will set them ablaze,” says the LORD of Hosts. “Not a root or branch will be left to them.” 2“But for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings, and you will go out and leap like calves from the stall. 3Then you will trample the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day I am preparing,” says the LORD of Hosts.…

It says ‘its wings’ in this translation but the original word in Hebrew suggests ‘her wings’. Jesus is a man.

But He is described in the Greek in the New Testament as mono-genetic. See John 3:16 in Biblehub

https://biblehub.com/interlinear/john/3-16.htm

The word usually translated ‘only begotten’ is μονογενῆ (monogenē). He, Jesus, is recorded as born of a virgin, so without a man’s sperm. So in a way, Jesus was female, yet he was a man, it says so in the New Testament.

Please note however, that ‘only begotten’ can sound like ‘only big ‘ot one’. Only big hot one, like the Sun!!

It is recorded in Matthew 23:37 that He said ‘O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those sent to her, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were unwilling!’

So like a protective mother, He would have gathered the children of God in Jerusalem under His protection. But they would not come.

You may know of the following by Dorothy Frances Gurney.

“Kiss of the sun for pardon.

Song of the birds for mirth.

You’re closer to God’s heart in a garden

Than any place on earth.”

The Bible also talks about kissing the son in Psalm 2 v.12 and explained here.

https://www.gotquestions.org/kiss-the-son.html

And Jesus said ‘Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father.’ John 14:9.

Also “I am the Light of the world” John 8:12.

https://www.gotquestions.org/light-of-the-world.html

So I can recommend the sun, God’s good sun as I call it, for vitamin D if you do the right things.

And I can recommend the Son, God’s good Son as I call Him, for showing us the Father, the heavenly Father, or Big D if you like!

As regards the song “Don’t Be Like The Sun” I would say do be like the sun and shine the light of God’s truth on the world.

And be like Jesus, the Son of God, the Light of the World.

P.S. If you need more information on vitamin D, here are my links again.

D is for…..D. Vitamin D

More Vitamin D

If you need cheering up, a dance, a lullaby or humour why not try my suggestions;but I am sure there are many others you can think of.

The Jacksons – Blame It On the Boogie

Katrina & The Waves – Walking On Sunshine

You Are My Sunshine (Lullaby Version) | The Hound + The Fox

The Beatles-Here comes the Sun.

Noel Coward – Mad dogs and Englishmen.